Business From a Closet

Marilyn, together with her husband, runs a 12-employee firm, Atlantic Infrared Inc., from her bedroom's walk-in closet.

Every morning I wake up at 4:30, brush my teeth, and head to the office wearing pajamas. I don't travel far - my desk is in my bedroom's walk-in closet.

My husband, Tom, and I started our 12-employee firm, Atlantic Infra-red (atlanticinfra-red.com), in 2002 out of our home in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. We own five trucks equipped with infrared technology, which we use to restore asphalt surfaces, mostly on heavily traveled roads. Our revenues hit $1.2 million in 2006.

The construction business starts early in the morning - by 6:30 I'm on the phone talking to clients and directing employees in the field. I hold most meetings at the kitchen table, but if we need access to paperwork, we move upstairs to the closet. No one really likes being there. There's no air conditioning, and only one visitor at a time can fit, sitting on a kitchen stool. To limit clutter, I do almost everything on my laptop.

When employees first see my closet, they laugh. Since our trucks cost $100,000 each, they expect my office to be top of the line. They walk in and say, "Oh, my God. You really work here? There's no window!" But I don't care - it's cheap! Why waste money on office rental? Plus, I get to be home with my two young kids.

California Closet Company Inc. designed her closet office. From Fortune.